Wait. Think. Fast. is a bi-lingual band based in Los Angeles. Their latest album, “Vuelve al Mar,” is seven tracks of sultry guitar driven pop music that provide us the perfect soundtrack for our dreams. However, this band could give us so much more.
One thing about this album though is that I feel it’s missing that extra oomph to really make this album stand out. This may be from the low production value, which creates an older, yet, slightly dated feel to the album. Upon careful listening with earphones, there’s a lot to this music. It’s just buried beneath the muddiness created by this problem.
Simple fixes such as bringing out the drums to really drive the melodic lines from the guitar and piano will really give this band the edge it needs to keep the listeners entertained. Also, during some of the song build-ups, there were missed opportunities that the drums could have really laid it down to heavily stress the impact. Instead, the results were simple basic beats that just left the listeners on a plateau with no peak.
This could also be said for Jacqueline Santillan’s vocal range. She has a great voice reminding me of Siouxsie Sioux and fits well with the haunting melodies. If she just opened her throat and really let it go, the music could really go somewhere and give them more of a distinct sound.
Although, once I got to the last song, “Pajaros de Papel,” it was like they figured out the missing pieces and decided to put all their efforts on this song, which makes it great. The production quality is more superior to the rest of the album. You can actually hear the drums. Santillan starts to branch out of her comfort zone and belt out some higher notes. Maybe this was the last song they recorded (since the production value is much different than the rest). If that is the case, I hope this is the new direction Wait. Think. Fast. is heading and I can’t wait to hear the next album they release.